Floppy Disk Tips
(-: Your Mileage May Vary :-)
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Never leave diskettes in the disk drive, as data can leak out of the
disk and corrode the inner mechanics of the drive
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Diskettes instead should be rolled up and stored in pencil holders
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Diskettes should be cleaned and waxed once a week
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Microscopic metal particles can be removed by waving a powerful magnet
over the surface of the disk
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Any stubborn metallic shavings can be removed with scouring powder and
soap
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When waxing diskettes, make sure application is even
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This will allow the diskettes to spin faster, resulting in better
access time
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Do not fold diskettes unless they do not fit in the drive
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"Big" diskettes may be folded and used in "little"
disk drives
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Never insert a disk into the drive upside down
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The data can fall off the surface of the disk and jam the intricate
mechanics of the drive
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Diskettes cannot be backed up by running them through the Xerox machine
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If your data needs to be backed up, simply insert two diskettes
together into the drive whenever you update a document:
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The data will then be recorded on both diskettes
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Diskettes should not be inserted into or removed from the drive while
the red light is flashing
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Doing so could result in smeared or possibly unreadable text
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Occasionally the red light continues to flash in what is known as a
"hung" or "hooked" state
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If your system is "hooking" you, you will probably need to
insert several dollars before being allowed to access the disk drive
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If your diskette is full and you need more storage space, remove the
disk from the drive and shake vigorously for two minutes
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This will pack the data ("data compression") enough to allow
for more storage
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Be sure to cover all the openings with scotch tape to prevent loss of
data